March 17, 2008

Last week was Spring Break.I spent it alternating between UPS, the Coast Guard and the bug that's been going around.

Why did I go in to the Coast Guard on spring break?...well... here is some background on that....

I'm trying to get this Boarding and Inspection qualification before the
current manual becomes obsolete at the end of the month. If I can't I
have to start all over. Now since I've left the MSST, I've been moved
around enough that I've gotten 7 unfinished qualification books....I've
done all sorts of stuff but am actually qualified on very little. For a
time I had a local letter allowing me to board and inspect everything
aside from the engine rooms, but that qualification has been invalidated
by the USCG eliminating the local unit letters. As getting the local
letter meant I was well on my way towards the full certification this
was not as annoying as it sounded. However, late last year the Coast Guard decided to completely redo the course for this certification and to include a required school. Now this is not without precedent or merit, but it means that I'd be back to square one on a certification that regularly takes active duty petty officers 6 months to get (as a reservist I'm only on duty 36 days a year) AND I'd have to attend a school...the sessions for which all fall in the middle of my classes or study abroad. The fact that it is a 3 week school and reservists annual active duty stint is 2 weeks further complicates things.

So...I took my annual 2 weeks during my holiday break in January and have been showing up at the offices periodically to get training to the extent the active duty cadre can spare time (Hampton Roads is a very busy port. )

The active duty side has been very generous with their time and after this past week I needed only to get a few more pages signed off. This past weekend was my drill weekend and I looked forward to getting it done...at last.

Naturally, shortly after I'd sat down with a first class, I got called over to the Portsmouth base for an urgent admin matter. I arrived just after lunch had started...so the urgent admin matter had to wait another hour.

When the admin team had arrived and sorted things out it turned out that said admin matter was not only not urgent...but due to a file mix up was completely apochryphal.

By the time I got back the active duty people had left.

Feh....

So, to review, I've got 10 days left to get the last few pages signed off, do two boardings and a check ride and sit for a board...all of this on my own time while going to school full time, working 36 hours a week and helping out at my folks house.

I also need to cut my own grass.

I have a headache.*****************************************There are 30 fasting days left until the weigh-in in April. I've lost 15 pounds since the beginning of the year. Given that his is less than half of what I have to loose, the math does not add up...drastic measures are called for. This morning at UPS I transferred to the unload, back pain notwithstanding. Additionally, it looks like I'll be having a late Lent this year. *****************************************

In other news I got a "B-" on the dreaded Japanese exam, which, while disappointing, was not awful.